Electrical floor or wall connector.



S. E. STEELE.

ELECTRICAL FLOOR 0B WALL CONNECTOR.

APPLIOATIQH FILED HA3. 2, 1910.

m a m M m f in E M M F HM E E W .w W\

8 a z 9 d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. STEELE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR- TO ROBERT A. M.

STEELE, F PITTSBUR-G, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL FLOOR OR WALL CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24,1911.

Application filed March 2, 1910. Serial No. 546,912.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. STEELE, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical. Floor or \Vall Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sockets and plugs for electric bells or similar signaling devices, such as are usually placed in the floors of dining rooms and the like. i

The ordinary form of floor socket and plug for dining rooms comprises a socket including the terminals of'a signal circuit and arranged to receive either a push plug for closing the circuit between the terminals,

or a plug for connecting to the socket an ex tension provided with a push button or similar circuit closer. Practically all forms of such device on the market have the connecting plug so arranged that it projects above the floor, and is liable to be hit by the casters of the table when the latter is moved, and either broken or injured. Furthermore, the pushing plug for closing the circuit by foot pressure is usually lifted or held up by means of a spiral spring.

The object of the present invention is to provide a floor socket and plugs codperatlug therewith, which are much simpler than devices of the same character heretofore used, and in which the extension plug is flush with the top or face plate of the socket, so that the table can be moved freely without liability of striking or injuring the plug,

and in which the spiral springs which are a feature of the old form of socket are entirely dispensed with.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

- In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the imroved connection with the push plug in the socket and the circu.it open; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View showing the push plug in the socket and the circuit closed; Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the extension plug in the socket; Fig. i is a side view of the extension plug on an enlarged scale; and

face plate 1 having secured to its lower face the rubber, fiber, or other insulating disk 2.

. The face plate and disk 2 are provided with shaped seat.

a rectangular opening or socket :3 therethrougln Secured to the insulating disk 2 on opposite sides of the'opening 3 are the terminals 4 and 5 of the bell or signal circuit. These terminals are shown in the form of flat springs projecting downwardly from the disk 2. Screws 6 pass through openings in the face plate 1, disk 2, and

spring terminals 4 and 5, respectively, and are provided on their lower ends with a plurality of nuts 7 and S, the upper one of each pair serving to clamp the face plate, insulating disk, and spring terminals together, and

the lower one serving as a binding post for the connection of the wires 9 of the signaling, circuit. Where the screws pass through the face plate, they are surrounded by the insulating sleeves 10.

()ne ofthe spring terminals, such as terminal 5, is extended downwardly and bent in a wide curve 11 and then bent horizontally and provided with a downwardly curved portion 12 to form a substantially V- sprlng metal. The foot or push circuit closing plug is shown at 14, and has a thin lower end 15 which is seated in the Vshaped This terminal is made of good seat 12 of the terminal 5 and is held elevated by the latter so as to keep the circuit open. When said plug is depressed, the curved portion '11 of the terminal 5 yields, as shown in Fig. 2, permitting the wide portion 16 of thepush'plug to contact with the spring terminal 4, and thereby close the circuit. As soon as pressure is relieved, the plug is raised by the curved spring'portion 11, and the circuit broken. Thls curved spring portion takes the place of the usual spiral spring for lifting the push plug 'to break the circuit, and makes a much simpler device than those usually used.

The extension plug is indicated at 18.

This comprises a body 19 of fiber, hard eirtension'wires 22'. Thetwo opposite broad faces of the plugare covered with the metallic contact plates 23 for contact with the terminals :1 and 5. These'plates' may be secured to the insulating body in any suitable way. As shown, they are provided with edge extensions or tongues 24, which are bent over into the grooves 20 and serve to hold the contact plates in place. Each of these plates is provided on one edge with a projecting portion 25, which also is bent down into a groove 20 and provided with an opening for receiving a screw 26 for clamping said projection to the end of a wire 22 and serving in effect as a bindin post. The extension on one of the plates 23 is bent down into one of the grooves 20,

and that on the other plate is bent into the opposite groove 20. When this plug is in the socket the contact plates 23 are in pressure contact with the terminals 4 and 5 so that the circuit is extended through the wires 22*to a suitabl push button or like circuit closer, as will be readily understood. Plug 18 is of such length that its upper end substantially flush with the face plate 1 of the socket. Consequently, there is no projection to be hit by the casters of the table when moved and no liability of injuring the device. The curved spring portion 11 of the terminal 5 forms a yielding seat for the lcwer end of the plug, prevents the plug from being pushed too far down, and permits the plug toinove downwardly iii case it protrudes slightly above the face plate.

The socket and plugs described are of simple coi'istruction, cannot easily get out of repair, cannot be readily injured in use, can be applied with facility, and are cheaper to nianuhicture than the devices for the same purpose now on the market.

What Ii claim is, p

1'. in a iioor hell connection, a socket adapted to receive'a plug and comprising spucsd spring contacts one of which is extended downw 'dly and has its end projectin" i s of the plug opening in the L9 the and a plancdace plug aritli its end on said contact. bell-connection, a socket eive a plug and comprising a spring contacts or terminals,

to form a support for the one of said contacts being formed of flat spring metal and extending downwzxrdly and bent into a curve with the end provided with a V-shaped seat located underneath the socket in position to form a srunport for the end of the plug.

3. The combination of a socket and a plug cooperating therewith, said socketv comprising spaced contacts, and said plug comprising a rectangular insulating body provided with longitudinal grooves on two opposite sides thereof and contact plates on the two remaining side faces of said plu said plates being provided with extensions projecting into said grooves and provided with binding scrc for the extension wires.

4-. The coinbinatiolrot a socket and a plug cooperating therewith, saidsocketeonr prising spaced contacts, and. said plug comprising a body oi": insulating material pro vided on two opposite side faces with grooves to receive the ends of the extension wires, contact plates covering the two reinaining faces of said plug, said plates being provided with edge extensions which are bent down into said grooves to secure the plates to the body and provided with other estensions also bent down into the grooves and receiving screws for connecting the extension wires thereto.

The combination of socket and a plug cooperating therewith, said socket comprising a face plate, an insulating body be neath the same, said face plate and insulatin; body being provided with an opening therethrough, spring terminals or contacts located on the opposite sides of said opening, and screws extending through the face plate, said body and said spring terminal and insulated from the face plate and serving to secure the terminals, the faceplate, and insulating body together, and having their lower ends forming connectors for the circuit wires.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. SAMU *L E. STEELE.

lVitnesses:

M. JoHnsoN. Jas. IJ, 'Vl anuon. 

